Change farming pattern, farmers told
FARMERS in must venture into conservation farming following the drought that certain parts of Zambia experienced in the previous season, says Kafue district commissioner Joseph Kamana has implored
Mr Kamama says Kafue is closer to the Southern province and chances of the district experiencing a drought, as a result of climate change effects, are high.
He said this at the weekend when Nyimba Investment completed restocking its warehouse with the entire 6,387 metric tonnes of fertiliser for the 2019/2020 farming season.
With Nyimba completing restocking the warehouse, he said that it was equally important for farmers under the direct input supply to pay the K 400 so that they access the fertiliser on the set date of September 1, 2019.
“We are happy that as Nyimba you are on course for the 2019/2020 farming season and that your stocks are in. As a district we have 15,373 farmers under FISP (Farmer Input Support Program). My appeal to you our farmers is pay the K400 so that you can get the fertiliser in good time for the planting season,” Mr Kamana said.
He also said the speedy restocking of the warehouses by Nyimba Investments was in tandem with the government’s desire of growing the agriculture sector.
And Kafue senior agriculture officer Monica Mulenga said once the farmers pay the required K400, the provincial officials would be able to distribute the commodity on time.
Ms Mulenga encouraged farmers to start paying early, saying the speedy delivery of fertiliser would result in the district recording a better yield.
“We have the inputs on time so our message to you our farmers is that pay and we will distribute on time,” Ms Mulenga said.
At the same event, a small scale farmer, Lisa Matanda said this was the first time fertiliser was delivered to the on time in the last three years.
“What has happened this year has never been seen in the last three years. We thank our President Mr Lungu for this. This is the first time that we have fertilizer and I am sure we will have a good harvest,” she said.
And Nyimba Investment Head-Sales and Marketing Willings Mulendema said the company has completed restocking for the 2019/2020 farming season.
He said so far Nyimba has delivered in Lusaka, Chilanga and Kafue. “The farmers themselves have confessed that this is the first time that they have seen such stocks in Kafue and we are happy that we have managed to deliver on time. All has been done for Lusaka province and we are happy that we have done it on time,” he said.